Pirate Golf Ranked 20th in the Nation
September 28, 2002 | Men's Golf
The 20th place ranking marks the first time in school history that the Pirates have been ranked in the Top-25 nationally. The men are 27-1 on the year, and have had six second place and one first place finish in 11 events since last fall's home tournament (Pirate Fall Intercollegiate). There are 292 total NCAA Division I men's golf programs. The men completed last season with an 82nd place ranking.
"It is awfully early in the year to be concerned about rankings, but we'll take it," said ECU Head Coach Kevin Williams. "I am very proud of our team for all the hard work. To see the work ethic pay off is very rewarding. We have a long year ahead, but this is the type of achievement that makes it easier to continue working hard and focus, which I believe is a trademark of this team."
In addition to the 20th ranking by GOLFSTAT, the Pirates are also ranked 32nd in the Golfweek/Sagarin poll.
Fellow Conference USA members TCU (9) and Southern Miss (25) are also ranked in the Top-25.
On the women's side, the Pirates are ranked 40th, while South Florida (15) and Tulane (24) snagged Top-25 spots. This is the third season that East Carolina has carried women's golf. In NCAA Division I women's golf, there are 210 women's programs. Last season, the women finished ranked 58th.
The East Carolina women will next participate in the Nittany Lion Invitational on October 5-6. The tournament is being hosted by Penn State University and will be held at the Penn State Blue Course. The women will then host the Lady Pirate Fall Intercollegiate on October 14-15 at the Greenville Country Club.
The men will travel to Newport, R.I., on October 8-9 to play in the Adams Cup of Newport hosted by the University of Rhode Island and then return home to host the Pirate Fall Intercollegiate on October 21-22 at Bradford Creek Golf Course.
